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Does anyone else get a decent sized bump on the top of your neck after playing sousaphone for the first time in a while?

it did it to me when i first started marching season, and again after a bball game(hadn't played one in a while)

Bout the size of a quarter, feels like its right at the top backbone. Not painful, but does feel sore if u touch it. But not a constant pain.

Not hard either, its a lil mushy, but firm. I know its from playing sousaphone, Just trying to figure out if its normal, or something I may wanna get checked out before it possibly got worse?

I have a standing rule: if I'm not sure whether or not something should be looked at by a doctor, I have it looked at by a doctor. Especially lumps and skin irregularities. You only have to decide wrong one time to die young.
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Joe Baker, who has never heard of anyone getting a bump on the back of the neck from playing, and advises a trip to the Doc rather than consulting low brass players.

Thanks for the replies.

I know why I get it (sousaphone). Just concerned whether its a fairly typical thing.

Im about 5'11 and weigh about 160lbs. So im not a huge guy. I dont' have any physical problems with carrying one, just ofcourse the typical pain after not using one for a while. but after a few weeks marching, I dont' even notice the thing(sousa) is on my shoulders anymore. and I dont' believe the bump is there either, atleast theres no discomfort.


I'd hate to go get it "checked out" if a majority of tuba players get them, I mean the thing will clear away in a few days since im not gonna be playing the sousa but once a week or so. On the other hand, i'd hate to not get it checked out and find out later down the road it wasnt' a "common" thing, and regret it then.

wat exactly is it, a bruise? (theres no discoloration tho), or what? I could understand if i had a purple bruise from the sousa, since that would make sense, but the fact its just kinda a lump that hurts if u push on it, makes me a lil less comfortable with having the thing on my back

bloke wrote:

Does anyone else get a decent sized bump on the top of your neck after playing sousaphone for the first time in a while?

OK, there's a huge disadvantage here of not being able to hear nor see...

...but I suspect your inflamed tissue results from assembling and "wearing" the instrument improperly (as do at least 90% of all sousaphonists, it seems).

Read this carefully and visualize:

The neck and bits need to approach your face from your left, NOT from your right...

(...Yes, it works. You'll just have to find the proper angle for everything...but if you do not let the instrument "move" clockwise on your body quite a bit when you do this, you won't be able to get it "happenin' ".) This correction will accomplish several things.

- The instrument will "look" better, as it will be oriented more front-to-rear (in relation to your body) instead of left-to-right.
- All of the sudden, you'll be able to face the bell straight forward without it hitting you in the forehead.
- The instrument will no longer rub against your neck.

Joe is absolutely correct. I'd add that if, even after all this correction, the weight still causes a little pain, keep a tube of icyHot cream handy. It's water-based, unlike the solid, so it's not greasy and yucky, and it works like a charm.

I get this bump thing too. At it's worst, I look a little hunch-backed. I still actually have the bump after not touching sousaphone since the summer. It has gotten alot smaller though. It was explained to me that this would happen when I first picked up sousaphone by my band director who had seen this happen alot over his 30+ years experience.

I think it's just our body's way of combatting having 50 pounds on your shoulders for that long. I did find that shifting it away from your neck in the back(pointing the bell more forward) does help get the sousa off your bump.